Former Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh will contest the next assembly elections along with the new party. However, on Wednesday also he did not announce the name of the party. The Captain said that the name along with the symbol would be announced after the approval of the Election Commission. My lawyers are working on it. As far as Sidhu is concerned, wherever he fights, we will fight him. When the time comes, we will fight on all 117 seats.
In the press conference held in Chandigarh, the former CM said that the promises he made were fulfilled. Justifying the decision to increase the jurisdiction of the BSF, the Captain said that the security of Punjab was of paramount importance to him. Punjab has seen terrorism. The Captain has also revealed his strategy regarding the farmers' movement. He has said that he will meet Home Minister Amit Shah in Delhi on Thursday regarding agricultural laws. During the meeting, farmers, agricultural experts and arhtiyas will also be present along with the Captain. Everyone will discuss together and try to find a solution to the agricultural laws.
While targeting the Congress, the former Chief Minister said that many people of the party are in touch with him. When the time comes, they will come out in the open. We are waiting for the opportune moment, but I will not name them. Already my supporters are being harassed. On the question of not resigning from the Congress, the Captain said that I have spent 50 years in Congress, what can I not stay for 10 more days.
He rubbished the claims of the Congress that most of the MLAs were opposed to his continuance and said that once they (party leadership) made up their mind to replace me, all these were made excuses. Pointing out that the Congress's so-called 18-point agenda for his government as part of the Punjab 2017 manifesto, he said the Kharge committee was clearly told that 92 per cent of all election promises were fulfilled.
The Captain took a jibe at his opponents, especially Navjot Sidhu and Sukhjinder Randhawa, for indulging in petty things. He said that since Sidhu took over the reins of Punjab Congress, according to his surveys, the popularity of the party had declined by 25 per cent. Rejecting the allegations against his Pakistani friend Arusa Alam, the former CM termed the allegations of sending money by him as baseless.
The Captain said that he never talked about forging an alliance with the BJP. What he wanted to do, he said, is seat-sharing. However, he is yet to speak to the BJP on this. He made it clear that he had no intention of forging an alliance with the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), but would only bring together the broken Akali groups.
Rejecting allegations of non-fulfilment of promises during his four-and-a-half-year rule, Captain Singh said that the Charanjit Channi government is implementing what we have decided to do. Whatever work we start, it is just being carried forward. The ownership of Lal Dora and slum land was started by me, it was the decision of my cabinet.
